Zep Vehicle Care Zone

From lights and application equipment to foaming chemistries and polishing tunnels, the experience at your car wash has never been more important. Elevating the customer experience will not only help to differentiate your car wash from the next wash down the street but it also drives customer satisfaction and can influence their purchasing decisions. When done right, your positive wash experience can create opportunities and reasons for your customers to share their experience about your car wash within their network, whether it be in person or within their online network.

Check out the car wash tips below to enhance the experience of your car wash.

LED Lighting

Colored LED lighting that is highly visible from the street is a growing trend that helps attract customers, delight them and keep them coming back. Using LED lighting to not only entertain your customers but also confirm their wash package selection is key to enhancing your wash experience.

Associating a specific light color to a specific product application makes the application of your chemistry pop and also assures customers they got what they paid for in a very memorable way. For example, if you have Rain-X® in your car wash, use an amber LED light placed on the application arch to highlight the color of the chemistry. Your customers will love watching the product as it comes out of the arch! Some products allow for more flexibility. The purple Armor All Professional® Extreme Shine Wax™ looks awesome with purple, red, or blue lighting. Any one of these colors will enhance your customers experience and validate their purchase.

Product applications arches aren’t the only place to use colored LED lighting in your wash. Use a blue LED light on your rinse arch to make your customers feel like their car is getting a thorough rinse. Use a red LED light on your blowers to give your customers a lasting impression as they leave the wash and help communicate that perfectly dry finish.

Think about it – when was the last time you changed your car wash package pricing? If you would like to increase your car wash revenue, one of the easiest ways to do it is by increasing the average amount a customer spends per visit. There are a lot of ways to accomplish this, and a great place to start is to evaluate your pricing. By using these car wash pricing best practices, you can make sure that your pricing isn’t holding your customers back from choosing the best wash you offer.

1. Don’t offer too many packages.

A menu with more than four package choices creates decision fatigue for your customers. If you need to eliminate one of your package offerings, you should consider your package take rates. Most often, the lowest take rate will be in the “middle washes” where value can be confusing. When eliminating a middle wash package, most customers will take the “new middle” package, and very few will choose a lower offering. If you can, stick to three package offerings on your menu – the average ticket for three packages will net better results than four packages, typically by 5% or more.

2. Typically, customers prefer even-priced packages.

Consumer psychology studies suggest that buyers prefer even price points. Use this as an opportunity to easily move odd price points to a higher and even price point. Likewise, if you’d like to discourage customers from selecting a certain package (for example, a lower-value basic wash), you might want to keep that wash at an odd price point.

Marketing is a critical component to helping you make money in your car wash – without it, getting customers in the door of your car wash can be a challenge. When done well your marketing efforts can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

The first step to an effective marketing strategy is to create a unique brand identity that will set you apart from the competition. According to The Balance, branding is about “getting your prospects to see you as the sole provider of a solution to their problem or need.” The easiest way to accomplish this is to think about your car wash from your target customer’s perspective. What do they want or need and what is the experience you want them to have? When creating or updating your brand, you’ll also want to keep a few things in mind.

Make sure that your brand delivers your chosen messaging

Engage the emotions of your target customers

Ask yourself what value your product delivers. If your value and the desires of your audience do not align, it’s time to rethink your branding strategy.

Once you have determined your unique brand identity, every touchpoint within your wash and your marketing efforts should support your brand promise. They key is consistency and a singular focus on creating the experience you want at your car wash.

Now, it is time to let the world know that your wash is open for business. There are multiple ways to let customers know that your car wash is open for business including:

SOCIAL MEDIA

Digital communities can significantly influence your business potential. Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can create a lot of awareness for a car wash, and it also helps with customer loyalty. Because the social media influence is community based, it’s best to cultivate a social media presence around your local community. For example, create content that celebrates your local sports team victories and graduations, and share local news. You can also use social media to disperse time-bound coupons and encourage customer loyalty.